Power exchange, p.1
Power Exchange, page 1
POWER EXCHANGE
SADIE HALLER
QTP
CONTENTS
About this Book
Books by Sadie Haller
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Epilogue
Blacklist Hookup
Acknowledgments
About the Author
ABOUT THIS BOOK
As a forty…something woman at the top of my field, I know better than to lust after a business associate.
But everything about the silver fox building my new app turns me on.
So no matter how off-limits Stuart Cole should be, the temptation of satisfying my secret kinky cravings with a forbidden workplace romance is just too much to resist.
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BOOKS BY SADIE HALLER
Dominant Cord
One Gold Heart
One Gold Knot
One Gold Triquetra
Tainted Pearl
Tainted Shadow
Power Brokers
Chief of Perversion
Agent of Denial (Coming soon)
Fetwrk
Power Exchange
Blacklist Hookup
Unfriendly Relations
Daddy Issues
Full Circle
Noble Expectations (coming soon)
Frisky Beavers
Prime Minister
Dr. Bad Boy
Full Mountie
Mr. Hat Trick
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For whoever needs to be told:
You’re beautiful
You’re amazing
I love you
PROLOGUE
Mel
1984
It’s super late and we’ve already watched two videos, but I’m not ready to go to sleep just yet. There’s a grown-up party going on by the pool, and I want to check it out.
“Let’s go peek out the back window,” I suggest to Nora, who’s been my best friend since we were babies.
“You know we’re not supposed to,” she protests. “My mom said not to leave my room after bedtime.”
“So what? I bet they’re all outside busy having fun. Who’s going to know?”
“Nobody, maybe. But—”
“Come on,” I say, snagging the sleeve of her jammie top.
We sneak out of Nora’s room and up to the third-floor back bedroom where we’ll get the best view. Usually, their parties happen down in the big rec-room in the basement where it’s impossible for us to spy on them without getting caught. Tonight, though...
We both gasp as we peer out into the back yard.
Naked people everywhere, touching and snuggling and—
I know about that—sort of. I’ve walked in on my parents before, we’ve had the talk, and it’s definitely been whispered about among my friends. The thing is, I’ve never seen or heard of people doing it like this.
“We should go back to my room,” Nora says, her voice sounding a little panicked. “We shouldn’t be watching this. It’s bad.”
“How is it bad?” I ask. “It looks like everyone is having a good time.”
“I don’t know. I just have an awful feeling in my tummy, and we should go back to bed and pretend we never saw this.”
I’m fascinated by it all and want to keep watching. But Nora’s right. Something doesn’t quite feel okay, and we don’t want to get into any trouble.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Just as I turn to leave, something catches my eye in the distance.
ONE
Mel
Present day
Nothing yanks me out of dreamland and slams my brain into fixer-mode like my phone screaming the chorus from The Alarm’s 68 Guns. That ringtone only ever means one thing—some celebrity is neck-deep in the kind of shit that can kill a career faster and messier than a twelve-gauge to the head.
I have a quiet reputation for straightening out even the most sordid and tawdry of situations, and that is only possible because, unlike most public relations consultants—I can’t be Googled.
I slide my finger across the screen of my phone, put it on speaker, and start throwing on clothes.
“Seymour.”
“Oh, thank Christ. Mel, it’s Janet Gilroy calling. Lis Green—she’s only gone and found herself an internet Dom, and this time it’s a disaster of epic proportions. I don’t know how—”
“Calm down. Where is she?”
“Mountain View Day Spa.” The official name of the very exclusive medical clinic that fixers like me rely on for clients with medical emergencies requiring absolute discretion.
“And the Dom?”
“No idea.”
Fuck. “I’ll be there in thirty.”
Twenty-three minutes later, I arrive to find Lis Green is an absolute fucking mess.
She’s lying face-down on the bed, her body covered with whip slashes from her shoulders down to her calves. If she’s lucky, the scars will fade to a point where makeup will hide them well enough for the camera. If not, she’s going to require a body-double for skin scenes.
“I get that you’re scared and hurting, but I need you to tell me everything you know about this guy.”
“I just want it to all go away.”
“I know, and the best way for that to happen is for you to give me all the information you can. We’ve been down a road like this before, so you know I’m very good at what I do.”
“But this time…”
It’s the first time she’s been physically fucked up. “Lis, the sooner I can jump on this, the easier it will be to keep it contained.”
“I met him through this BDSM site. It’s got some forums and social areas, but it’s mostly for hooking up. Profiles include kinks and limits and stuff.”
“Do you mean Fetlife?”
“No. I do have a profile there, but no. This one is—underground.”
“I’m going to need the URL and this asshole’s username.”
I pull out my phone and fire a text off to Wil Johnston, my investigator.
Mel
Need you to locate user MasterSteve on domn8.kink ASAP.
Wil
On it.
“They’re going to fix you up and let you recuperate here for a few days, and then we’ll move you to an exclusive resort until you’re fully healed. As far as the world will know, you’re just taking a much-needed break.”
“Thank you, Mel.”
“No problem. Call me if anything comes up. I’ll be in touch when I have updates, okay?”
“Okay.”
Three hours later, Wil calls.
“I’ve located the fucker. What do you want me to do?”
“Come get me. I think I’d like to have you there for this one.” I’ve been at this a long time, and I am pretty good at taking care of myself. But part of that is knowing when to have back up. Given the damage this fucker did to Lis, it’s better Wil comes with me.
As it turns out, this asshole isn’t much of a challenge. Just like most abusers, he’s nothing more than a coward. Wil dug up more than enough dirt on him—activities that can in no way connect him to Lis—that will get turned over to the cops if he violates the terms of the non-disclosure agreement I have him sign. Okay, so it’s possible the cops may get an anonymous tip at some point in the not too distant future because oh golly gee, Wil didn’t sign anything…
If there’s one thing I can be sure of, this won’t be the last time I bail some celebrity out of trouble for taking a walk on the sexual wild side. Unfortunately, the number of celebs taking that walk is increasing, and as evidenced by Lis, the pedestrians who come back for more are taking bigger and bigger risks with each excursion.
TWO
Stuart
Waking up knowing I have three blissfully free weeks before I need to start my next contract made it well worth staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish and submit the project that has consumed almost every waking hour for the past six months.
I’m just getting a fresh pot of coffee going when Hayden knocks on the kitchen door.
“Coffee should be ready to go in a few minutes,” I tell him as I usher him in. “So, what’s up?”
“What makes you think something’s up?”
I raise an eyebrow. “How often do you call me during a workday to get together for coffee?”
“Okay, you may have a point.”
“So?”
“Fuck. Why is parenting so damned hard?”
“I have no kids. I know nothing about raising them. I am the last person on the planet you should be asking that question.”
“You’re her godfather.”
“Yes. Which means my job is to spoil her rotten and send her home, and step in for you if— Shit, Hayden, are you—”
“No. I’m fine. She’s not losing her other parent anytime soon. I think she’s into something hinky online.”
“Ah. That sort of thing I do know about. You want me to go through her devices?”
“Yeah. But more than that. I want you there when we talk about it. She adores you. She’s more likely to be receptive to the realities if they’re coming from you than she would from me. And I’d rather have her consent than have to pull the parental authority card when it comes to scrubbing her devices. Again, she’ll probably be more cooperative with you.”
“I guess this is how I’ll be spending my afternoon, then.”
“I’ll feed you, though. And maybe even ply you with a beer or two.”
“Deal.”
After Hayden leaves, I do some research and contact a few experts—some in law enforcement, some from the opposite end of the spectrum—and pick their brains before loading up my gear bag and heading out.
My gut is roiling. My place in Ffion’s life has always been that of the affable, doting uncle. This afternoon, I have to say goodbye to that role forever. Because the moment I have to be deadly serious with her, our relationship will be irrevocably changed.
I purposely arrive before Ffion is due home from school. I need to get myself into the right headspace, and Hayden and I both feel it’s best if we don’t give her a chance to settle into her routine.
“Stuart!” She bounds across the living room and I stand just in time to catch her before she lands in my lap.
“Hey Sweetpea.”
Her joy doesn’t last long as she catches sight of all the equipment I have laid out.
“What’s going on?” she asks, warily. Her suspicion adds to my concern.
“Have a seat. We need to have an important discussion.”
“Have you been snooping through my things?” she accuses as she looks back and forth between Hayden and me.
“No. Not without your knowledge.” Hayden says.
“But you’d do it without my permission.”
“I’d prefer we had your permission, but I am your parent, and if I have concerns about your safety and wellbeing, then it’s a battle I will pick.”
I take over, because what little calm Hayden has maintained is rapidly swirling the drain.
“Hayden, I’m sure you’ve probably got some important work you should be getting on with in your office,” I say as I flick my gaze toward the door.
“Yeah. No shortage. Let me know when you’re done.”
As soon as we hear Hayden’s office door close, I look at Ffion, wondering how she went from the tiny wee baby I held in my arms to a kid on the cusp of becoming a teenager in barely the blink of an eye.
“Ffion, you’re growing up. Way too fast for my liking, and with that comes a lot of exploration. Most of it good, but some of it can be dangerous. There are adults who prey on young people. And they are very good at fooling them into thinking they’re someone they’re not.”
“And because other kids get fooled, you think I’m stupid?” The hurt on her face is an absolute punch to the gut. How do people do this whole parenting gig?
“This has nothing to do with your intelligence. You know I love you, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Okay, shoe on the other foot for a minute. I know you love me. Would you risk making me upset or maybe even hating you for a while if you had the power to protect me from some bad stuff?”
“I don’t know.” She drops her chin to her chest.
“Really?” I ask, tipping her chin up with my finger.
“Fine. Yes.”
“Are you worried I’m going to see private stuff and tell your dad?”
She nods.
“I’ll make you a deal. The only private stuff I will tell your dad about is stuff I truly, in my heart, think he needs to know for your own safety. Is that fair?”
“You won’t let him see anything?”
“Not unless I feel like you are unsafe. I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Is there anything you want to tell me up front? Sites you’ve been visiting?”
“I don’t want to, but I will.”
“Okay. How do you normally access them?”
“On my phone. Because I always have it with me.”
“So, never on your laptop or your tablet? What about your video game console? Do you do online stuff with that?”
“No. Not any of those. Too easy for dad—” She stops short, but I can guess the rest. Too easy for her dad to check up. Her phone, not so much. At least not behind her back.
“I will still go through all your devices, if for no other reason than to ensure there’s nothing there that shouldn’t be, okay?”
“Yeah.”
I start with her phone. As I skim through the chatroom logs, I struggle to contain my rage. Conversations that any adult could see through in an instant, but easily make a young girl feel special. Listened to. Important.
“Sweetpea, I need you to make me a promise, right now.”
“You’re angry.”
“Yes. But not at you. Never at you. I need you to promise me that if you ever, and I mean ever need, need more love, or attention, or anything, you’ll demand it of your dad and me. If you have a problem, you’ll come to one of us. We love you. You can see in our faces that we love you. Can you promise me that?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ffion, you don’t need to be sorry. I just need to know that you’ll come to the people who love you most whenever you have a need.”
“I promise. I didn’t think—”
“For what it’s worth, there are plenty of pretty smart adults who get fooled online. So, don’t think kids have that market cornered.”
She gives me a little smile and I turn my attention back to her phone.
By the time I’m finished, I’m disturbed as fuck. Even though Ffion had only accessed questionable sites on her phone, it, along with her laptop and tablet are riddled with spyware.
“Sweetie, we’re going to need to talk to your dad about some of this stuff. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want to go get him, or shall I?”
“I’ll go.”
About ten minutes later she returns with her dad, who looks like he’s ready to flay the skin off the fucker who’d been grooming his baby.
“Did you tell him everything?” I ask Ffion.
“Yeah. Better to come clean, right?”
“Always.”
Hayden sits on the big armchair, folding Ffion into his arms as he pulls her into his lap. “As much as I really want to take away all your access to the outside world, I won’t. Stuart will block the sites you’ve been on as well as all those that are known problems—not because we don’t trust you, but because we don’t want to risk your privacy. I want you to let Stuart check your devices weekly to ensure they’re clean. Okay?”
